


Overhaul

by Ringshadow



Series: Trickster Souls [10]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Sentinel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, Angst, Justin's family, Justin's prejudiced parents, M/M, Tony's fucked up childhood, discussions of alcoholism and drug use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-02
Updated: 2014-06-02
Packaged: 2018-02-03 02:31:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1727822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ringshadow/pseuds/Ringshadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Confronting the past, and tearing it down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Overhaul

“Kansas City?”

 

“Yes, that is where we currently are.” Justin agreed, walking down the steps of Tony’s private jet. “Why what were you expecting?”

 

“I honestly don’t know.” Tony admitted, scratching his chin.

 

“Did you think I was from some tinyass town in the middle of nowhere?”

 

“It wouldn’t have surprised me.”

 

“Dude.” Justin sighed but didn’t belabor the point. “I set us up a nice rental car, and put us in a good hotel. Sam’s family lives in a suburb, nice but not ritzy.”

 

“So don’t be a snob?”

 

“I’d appreciate it.”

 

“Dude.”

 

“I’m enough of a snob for both of us. Okay, I don’t own a jet, how do we pick up our luggage?”

 

* * *

 

Tony spent the drive looking out the window at the urban sprawl, not sure why he was so surprised. “We should have talked more about your family.”

 

“Why, so you could further buy our nephew expensive stuff?”

 

Tony stared at him. “Our nephew?”

 

Justin reached over and grabbed Tony’s hand, lacing their fingers. “I’m trying to get ready to deal with my parents. Get in the right mindset. You’re not going anywhere are you?”

 

He had to smile. “No. Never.”

 

“So yeah we’re a little married then. Our nephew.”

 

Tony’s laugh was as startled as it was happy.

 

The last month with Justin had been the most enjoyable form of chaos. Their companies were still working on the partnership and they were back at work. They had fallen into a few comfortable rhythms. They would leave in the morning to report to their companies, because they were still working on moving to a combined office. That was usually their morning and early afternoon. In the late afternoon Tony would be in his workshop, and Justin was at his drawing desk. They had dinner together; usually Justin cooked for them both. They flirted badly, made out like they were teenagers and fell asleep together only to get up and do it all over again.

 

Justin had put on over ten pounds and while he wasn’t a hundred percent, his color was good, his eyes bright. They still hadn’t done anything really sexual, yet, but they had both settled into the concept that there wasn’t a rush. There was just a lot less self-loathing to go around.

 

Justin had started doodling a drone concept, and Tony had taken notice. Justin had explained that he wanted to be able to accompany Tony when Iron Man went out but putting on armor seemed wrong. Tony ran with the idea and they built it together. Now Iron Man had a sidekick of sorts, small and sleek and fast, so fast. Justin used VR glasses and gloves and his reflexes as a sentinel were absolutely necessary to controlling it. In flight it resembled a slightly heavier bodied SR71 in miniature, maybe a meter long, but the engines were VTOL, letting it hover, reverse, roll in place.

 

Justin loved it because now he could protect his guide. Yeah he was a mobile weapons platform using Iron Man weaponry, covering Tony’s back and keeping oversight on the battlefield, but he was in the fight and he wasn’t giving that up for the world.

 

It was of course already the butt of a lot of jokes along the lines of ‘dropping the hammer’.

 

Justin didn’t even care, because there had been a moment, landing a flurry of shots to a tank then watching Tony arrive and decimate it, that Justin had realized how fiercely and utterly in love he was.

 

“If we can survive my parents we’ll be okay.” He said it out loud, as much to convince himself as anything.

 

“We’re already amazing.” Tony squeezed his hand. “We both have issues with our parents. Old ghosts. We’ll bury them on this trip.”

 

“You realize that means you have to discuss your dad. I mean I’ve already caught on that bringing him up at the hearing was a low blow.”

 

“You didn’t know.” Tony shrugged. “And yeah I guess you’re right. I mean, it wasn’t as bad as what you went through.”

 

“That implies it was still pretty bad.” Justin pointed out.

 

“I don’t think this is the time. We’re going to your sister’s house first right?”

 

“Yeah, that’s the plan. We won’t see my parents until tomorrow at the party, and I want to see Sam before all that starts.” He admitted.

 

“She matters a lot to you, I can tell.”

 

“She helped me when I was first dealing with being a sentinel. She’d shake me out of dazes and after I went through camp she tried to help me. She was.. Actually she was pretty awesome.” He reflected. “By any gauge of little sisters. She was really angry when I came back.” When Tony stayed quiet, just looking at him curiously, he continued, exiting the highway. “I guess mom and dad just told her I was going to summer camp and I was really fucked up when I got back, I mean, I was shell shocked.”

 

“You still were when I first found you.” Tony murmured. “I can’t imagine what you were like as a tween trying to deal with that.”

 

“Gutted, sullen and silent. I could hardly get a word out to any of them.” He paused, glancing at the GPS. “I remember, she ran up to me and stopped just short before looking to mom and dad. She said, ‘This isn’t Justin. Where is my brother?’ At one point I got so sick of the shit I snapped and screamed at my parents that they have no idea what they did to me and that I watched another sentinel die there. I was punished for lying but she told me later she believed me.”

 

“Wow, man. Just when I thought this couldn’t get worse.” He let go of Justin’s hand in favor of putting his face in his hands for a moment, taking a slow breath. “But I guess I’m glad someone tried to help you.”

 

“She ran a lot of interference for me.”

 

“.. She’ll think I’m good enough, right?”

 

“Okay that’s one hell of a segue. How did we make that jump?”

 

“She’s obviously the only family you really give a shit about anymore.” Tony’s brow had wrinkled slightly. “She’s the one I need to impress. If she doesn’t approve of me…”

 

“She will.” He allowed for no other option.

 

* * *

 

Justin’s sister Sam lived in a sprawling one story house in a suburb. It was on two lots, set far back and surrounded by trees so it seemed secluded from the rest of the neighborhood. Justin parked the rental car in the driveway and got out, smiling when the front door opened and a young boy bounced out followed by a pack of dogs. “Good god, how many of those critters do you people own now?”

 

“Uncle Justin!” Tom flew across the yard and tossed his arms around Justin.

 

Justin laughed and returned the hug before letting go and putting him to arm’s length. “You’re growing like a weed.”

 

“Yeah maybe if you showed up more than once a year.” He made a face. “And there’s four dogs.” He turned and looked at Tony, standing on the other side of the car and looking at them pensively. “Do I get to call you Tony?”

 

“Sure.” He finally shut his car door and stepped around. “And Iron Man is totally going to be at your party.”

 

“Really?” Tom lit up.

 

“Yes, really.” He paused as the four dogs stopped just short of him and stared, tails wagging slowly. “So uh, bulldogs?”

 

“American bulldogs. Dad likes them. Come on you big babies.” Tom waded in and yanked on collars, breaking up the stare down in favor of a chorus of grumbling dog noises. “They’re pussies, don’t worry about them.”

 

“Tom, language.” Sam said, walking up and slugging Justin in the shoulder as Tom protested that it’s legit because the dogs totally are pussies. “About time you showed up.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. At least I’ve worked out some stuff.” He gave her a quick but sincere hug.

 

“You look better.” She agreed then turned her attention on Tony, who was still trying to navigate the wall of dogs. “Easy, guys, he’s family.” That was apparently enough because the four dogs stood down in favor of sniffing at Tony as he got by.

 

“I’m not used to dogs.” He admitted. “And I’m flattered you think of me as family already.”

 

“You fixed my brother.” She replied in a matter of fact way. “Now, come on. Al’s grilling hamburgers tonight.”

 

“Tomorrow we’re having lasagna.” Tom said, joining them as they moved toward the front door.

 

“Al’s your husband?” Tony guessed.

 

“Yeah, he’s an English teacher. I teach calculus.”

 

That made him pause, looking between Sam and Justin. “Not so different.” He decided.

 

Justin protested that as Sam opened the door for them all. “We do have a guest bedroom you know. You could have stayed here.”

 

“Nah. We don’t have a normal sleeping schedule and Tony plays loud music at all hours.”

 

“Yeah, that’s true enough.” The house wasn’t that big, Tony realized, but it was open plan and the dogs took clear advantage of that, moving as a pack along with Tom and shoving out the back slider door, leaving the three of them standing in a nicely appointed kitchen. “We did bring him a present but we’ll give it to him tomorrow.”

 

“You didn’t have to! Justin’s already paying for his tutor, that’s a decent chunk of change.” Sam gave Tony a chagrined look.

 

“It’s nothing. I’m glad to help.” Justin wove a hand. “I want him to have the firm foundation I didn’t. He still likes his tutor right?”

 

“Yeah, they get along like gangbusters. Brian’s from Austin believe it or not and Tom says his spirit animal is a massive longhorn bull. They have group sessions every other week with other kids in town being tutored, some of them are coming to the party.” She dug beers out of the fridge, passing them out and opening hers using a gargoyle bottle opener on the wall. “Honestly it might be a huge problem.”

 

“Because of mom and dad?” Justin asked, also using the gargoyle. Tony was busy giving the microbrew a dubious look while listening.

 

“Yeah. They still haven’t reached acceptance about Tom and honestly, he’s angry at them. He didn’t even want them to come to the party but they had already been invited. Since you talked a little about what you went through he did some digging on the internet, then asked me why grandma and grandpa wanted to send him to be tortured.”

 

“From the mouths of babes.” Tony finally opened his beer, then paused. “So that’s a genenuk.”

 

Justin looked where Tony was, and canted his head, looking at the delicate long-limbed and necked antelope looking through a doorway. His coyote skipped in and sniffed noses with his nephew’s spirit animal before seeming to accept that and sitting down, Tony’s crow just outright landing on the coyote’s head.

 

“I can’t get used to that honestly.” Sam said after a beat, leaning and staring where they were. “Tom handles her like she’s real. Hugs her around the neck and stuff but I can’t see it. Sometimes I see an after effect but it’s like heat rising off hot pavement.”

 

“Maybe that’s why sentinels and guides have a historical stigma in the western world for being crazy people.”

 

“Back up a bit.” Tony requested. “Tom’s invited more sentinel or guide kids for his party, that’s cool, but why would your parents not be into that? It’s not like they can tell if the kids are right?”

 

“You’re right, they can’t.” Sam agreed. “If they find out though I can only hope they don’t freak the hell out.”

 

“Well, at worst we’ll run interference for them and attract their rage.” Justin said. “Hey, mom and dad, Tony’s my guide and we so totally share a bed. Should blow up their minds.”

 

“Shouldn’t we be trying to find a way to constructively come out of this?” Tony wanted to know. “If they love their grandkid…”

 

“What, like they loved me?” Justin asked.

 

“Ouch. Accurate but ouch.” Sam shook her head.

 

The slider opened and Al leaned in. Al was average height, with short cropped red hair and a short red beard, and he gave them an easy gregarious smile. “You guys hiding inside or are you coming out? It’s good to see you again, Justin.”

 

“We’re coming, we’re coming. Thanks, man.”

 

* * *

 

Tony found himself learning a lot in a short time period about Justin’s family. Sam was actually pretty great, as was her husband Al. Al just struck him as fantastically laid back and well read (the dogs were Sherlock, Watson, Moriarty and Lestrade), and he presided over the back yard with easy confidence, taking everything in stride. The burgers were good, the homemade barbeque sauce excellent, and Tom was a smart kid who took up a lot of the evening happily chattering with them both.

 

They did manage to sit down outside side by side and talk, for a little bit, about Guide stuff. Tom asked him how he knew it was Justin and he tried to put it into words, but also told him not to rush trying to find his Sentinel (they were out there, he’d find them eventually). Tom told him about Brian and some of the kids he got to do group sessions with, apparently a girl named Laura who had a lemur spirit animal was his new bestest friend ever. Tom liked math and wanted to do something with that but he wasn’t sure what, yet. Not accounting, he thought, maybe some kind of engineering.

 

“I like your family so far.” Tony ventured. They were in Sam’s garage, he was balancing a ladder that Justin’s up on, getting a box down from a shelf.

 

“I’m glad.” He grunted, hefting the box down and making it down the ladder without falling, taking it to a wooden worktable.

 

“So, what are we doing?”

 

“Tying off a loose end I should have dealt with years ago.” It was a storage container and he opened it, taking out a layer of foam.

 

Tony watched, head canted, as Justin removed a series of trophies. Mostly smaller, one large one (eighteen inches tall), six in total, all for shooting. “Are these from college?”

 

“Yeah.” Justin rummaged through a tool cabinet and found some screwdrivers, bringing them over. “Sharpshooting scholarship, so I still went to competitions, and I did well.” His name was on brass plates on most of them, mounted on with screws and he set about taking the name plates off, dropping them aside. Tony picked up another screwdriver and helped, at one point using the edge of a flathead to remove a nameplate that was just glued on instead.

 

“I can understand not wanting to display them.” Tony said after a beat, looking at the stripped trophies lined up. “But why remove your name?”

 

“Because I cheated. Sentinels have different rules in competitions. For starters they have to admit what they are up front otherwise it’s not fair to everyone else.” Justin huffed. “I lied. I’m a good hand at a rifle but being able to use my vision like I do is why I won. Well, probably why I won anyway so I’m going to ship the trophies back with a check for all the scholarships they paid me, at whatever worth it is now due to inflation.”

 

“That’s… ridiculously honest.” Tony said. “And I guess a good way not to get sued, if your school got its dander up.”

 

“Yeah, that’s kind of what I’m trying to do. I figure if I even up now they won’t come at me later.” He admitted, putting the screwdrivers away and loading the trophies back into the storage container. “I’m going to take these with us.”

 

“Fine by me.” He shoved the removed nameplates in his pocket, picking up one side of the box.

 

“You guys okay?” Sam leaned out the garage door. “Get what you need?”

 

“Yeah, thanks for storing it for me.” Justin smiled at her. “We’re going to head out. We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

 

“Of course. Have a good night.”

 

“Thanks for dinner.” Tony said, waving then just helping Justin carry the storage container to the car. “So, what to do with the rest of the evening?”

 

“Well, let’s go get checked in and go from there.”

 

* * *

 

“I don’t think I’m used to the Midwest.” Tony said finally, standing at the window and leaning on the sill, looking out at the city. They were in a very nice hotel, but it’s still not what he’s used to. He’s self-aware enough to know he’s spoiled. He’s not in a cave, he’ll be alright.

 

“That doesn’t surprise me.” Justin said. He was sprawled on the bed, VR glasses and gloves on, eyes trained on the display as his drone moved. “I’m not sure I am either. My grandparents were from here too, but I haven’t lived here for a long time. I left for college and never came back.”

 

“Bad memories.”

 

“Yeah.” He paused as he reached one hand forward, humming as the drone broke the sound barrier. “Do you want to talk about that tonight?”

 

“I was thinking about it, but do you really want to talk heavy shit while you’re doing that?”

 

“Sorry, I’m bringing Sabbath here. Going to land her on top of your plane. Just in case.”

 

That made Tony pause, looking over his shoulder and quirking an eyebrow. “Sabbath?”

 

“You’re Iron Man. My drone is Black Sabbath.” He replied as if that was entirely obvious. “If I end up with multiple drones they get color designations but they’re all Sabbath.”

 

He laughed, unable to help it, crossing the room to sit on the edge of the bed. “You’re nuts.”

 

“You love me.”

 

“Yeah, pretty sure I do.”

 

Fifteen minutes later, Sabbath was parked on top of Tony’s jet at the airport, which pretty much guaranteed the drone being left alone. Justin returned the glasses and gloves to their case, and one google search later they’d left the hotel room.

 

* * *

 

“Everything seems to circle back to ice cream with you.”

 

“It’s a slightly healthier option over alcohol.” Justin said, sitting down on a park bench and looking out over the greenspace, Tony sitting down next to him, both bearing ice cream cones. “So. We’re about to start into some uncomfortable topics. Probably questions neither of us like. Let’s just agree not to raise our voices or get too angry at each other because this shit needs to be laid out.”

 

“Yeah, okay.” He agreed after a beat.

 

“I’m just going to go for one of the big ones then. You’re an alcoholic. What the fuck?”

 

Tony jerked and stared at Justin. “I haven’t drank that much around you since… all this. Can’t afford to, not with the state you’ve been in.”

 

“That’s admirable, because I’m right aren’t I?” Justin retorted, staring back then licking ice cream off his hand. “I wasn’t blind when I was drugged. I still noticed shit.”

 

“Alcoholics go to meetings. I was a drunk.” He shrugged and looked away. “Still am, I guess, just having a dry period while we try to get things arranged.”

 

“Better than what a lot of people in our tax bracket do I guess.” Justin said after a few beats.

 

“I’ve done coke too.”

 

“Shit.”

 

“Never let myself get addicted. My somewhat manic phases of design and invention, me a coke addict? Yeah that would have been a goddamn nightmare.” Now that he’s started talking about it, it’s getting easier, word by word. “Cut it close, a few times, especially in my teens.”

 

“Is this where I ask where the fuck your parents were?”

 

He laughed bitterly. “What parents? I’d already been shipped off to MIT with next to no supervision.”

 

There was a quiet moment, both eating their melting ice cream cones and watching the shadows lengthen. A few teenagers were out and about, and some kids were on a distant playground, their noise just barely carrying to where they sat.

 

“I’m guessing it gets worse.”

 

“I don’t have any positive memories of my father or mother.” Tony admitted. “My mother wasn’t there, most of my life. When I was young she was around, then she wasn’t. My father was a mean, cold abusive drunk who started giving me hard liquor when I was six.”

 

Justin shifted his ice cream to his other hand, wrapping that arm around Tony’s shoulders and pulling him in close.

 

“I have some footage, where he says to the camera that I was his greatest creation. He never said anything like that to me. He never said he loved me. Never said he liked me. At best he neglected me at worst he hit me. The butler and nanny raised me as much as they did. If I got in trouble at school they were the ones that bailed me out. So naturally I was a little ball of spitfire anger and misdirected intellect by the time I hit MIT, no reason not to fuck anyone willing and drink and try ever drug known to man.” He sighed and looked at Justin. “And I never got to have my moment where I became a successful adult and tell my old man to go fuck himself because they died while I was in school. And who ended up my guardian? Stane.”

 

“Fucking hell, Tony.”

 

“Yeah.” He leaned on Justin, just a bit, looking away again. “I think this is the most I’ve ever said about this. I’ve spent my life wealthy and fed and had anything I could ask for, where do I have room to complain.”

 

“Other people having problems does not mean your problems are somehow less.” Justin replied evenly. “I mean, honestly I don’t know which one of us is worse off here. Both of us have suckass parents.”

 

“And drug issues, pill popper.”

 

“Hey, blow me, I was just trying to get by.”

 

“So was I.”

 

They fell quiet again, finishing their ice cream then just sitting there as the sun finished setting, watching it dip down behind the modest-seeming skyscrapers.

 

“So, uh, let’s just do this. We can’t let our parents fuck us up forever. That lets them win.” Tony said, looking at Justin and catching one of his hands. “So let’s just do the best by us.”

 

“Yeah. I like that.” He smiled and laced their fingers together. “And I’ve come off the meds so you have to come off booze, okay? I mean, if you want to have just one…”

 

His expression hardened, eyes darting away. “One won’t touch me. Can’t have just one.”

 

“Then I guess we’re both going dry. Have Jarvis lock up the liquor cabinets from us.”

 

“You’re not taking pot away from me.”

 

“Nah, man. Not as long as you share anyway.” He stood and pulled Tony up. “Come on. It’s been a long goddamn day and tomorrow will be worse. Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

Being in a hotel meant no assisted gear up, which meant Tony was donning the updated set of suitcase armor. Justin had to smile as he watched it go on, marveling on the fact that this was just something in his life he’d started to get used to.

 

“Know what sucks?” Tony said, faceplate up and working his shoulders. “We can’t open the damn window. I’m going to have to ride the elevator down with you to take off.”

 

Justin cackled, standing and picking up Tom’s present as well as several bags of balloons. “Well maybe the elevator will be empty.”

 

“Do you honestly think our luck runs that way? Of course it won’t be empty.”

 

And it wasn’t. Well, it started out that way being they were in the penthouse but by the time they got to the lobby there were seven other people riding with them, all trying not to look at Tony, who was leaning on the back wall with his arms folded, staring back.

 

“So, do you do kids’ parties?” One of the other people asked brightly as they all walked out.

 

“Not generally.” Tony replied, kissing Justin’s temple. “See you there, eventually.”

 

“Call me if you get lost.” Justin replied with half a smirk, watching Tony put the facemask down and take a few running strides through the lobby, the heavy suit clanging on the marble floor before he engaged thrust and zipped through the door as a bellhop opened it to come in.

 

“Holy shit, wait, he was the real thing?” The same woman asked, gaping after him. “I thought he was a really good look alike.”

 

Justin decided it was probably best to slip away in the confusion before questions made him late for Tom’s party.

 

Making the drive alone was very different, because Justin still felt like he was mentally armoring up to deal with the day. That said, he felt absolutely clear and in control as he parked in his sister’s driveway. There was only one car he didn’t recognize, but then he’d purposefully arrived early. Sam opened the door up for him. “Hey, I’m not the first to arrive huh?”

 

“Nah, we have one kid here already, her dad’s talking to Al about grills.” She replied, taking the present and water balloons, frowning at the latter.

 

“They’re for Tony to shoot, you’ll see later.”

 

“Ah, that’s a good reason to have to pick up lots of popped balloons afterwards. Want a beer?”

 

“Water if you don’t mind.” He looked out the sliding doors, seeing a girl with long dark hair talking with big dynamic gestures with Tom. “She looks hyper.”

 

“Yeah, she is, she’s been here before.” Sam passed the water. “Mom and dad should be right behind you. That’s probably them pulling in, actually.”

 

“Did they get a new car?” Justin wanted to know, going to the window and looking out, squaring up his shoulders.

 

“Yeah, we finally convinced dad he didn’t need a truck anymore.”

 

He retreated to the kitchen and let Sam answer the door and let them in so he could see his parents from a distance and get used to the idea. That lull only lasted a few moments though before they came into the kitchen, his father Joe coming forward to clap Justin’s shoulders. “Haven’t seen you in a few years, boy!”

 

“Yeah, uh, I get caught up. Busy.” Justin said, managing a smile. “You look good, what have you been up to?”

 

“Oh, staying busy, I’m still the neighborhood handyman.”

 

“Justin!” Gail came over, looking him up and down. “You look better.”

 

That made him actually smile and hold his arms out. “Yeah I gained weight actually. Bit over ten pounds.”

 

“We saw on the news that you got involved in some trouble again.”

 

“Not any actual trouble. I happened to be somewhere where trouble happened, had nothing to do with me. Turned out to be a good thing, actually, got me out of some shit and into a better place.”

 

“I think she meant more your company getting bought out.” Joe pointed out.

 

“Oh, no, it’s a partnership, not a buyout. It’s going to be equally beneficial and my partner’s an awesome guy, you’ll meet him in a bit.”

 

“He brought him by last night, he is an awesome guy.” Sam confirmed, then stepped away to get the door again, this time letting in a pair of kids who ran to meet up with Tom, chattering happily. The parents passed over gifts and confirmed when they should come pick their kids up then went on their way. Justin watched the kids curiously, one was wearing a snake like a scarf, the other was followed by a small wild boar.

 

By Justin’s estimation, these were kids who should not be messed with once they grow up.

 

“Uncle Justin, come out back.” Tom came in and glommed onto Justin’s hand possessively. “Tony is going to be here soon right?”

 

Justin had to smile. “Yeah he’ll be here. He’s flying around downtown right now, playing around the electric hair curlers and stuff.”

 

“That must be so cool.”

 

“Tommy boy!” Joe said cheerfully, coming around the counter to clap his shoulder. “Happy birthday.”

 

Tom’s expression went stormy, frowning up at his grandfather. “Yeah, uh, thanks grandpa.” He tugged Justin’s hand more, putting himself between Justin and Joe. “We’re going back outside now.”

 

“Oh come on, I don’t even get a smile?” Joe was taken aback.

 

“No.” Tom replied simply and shoved Justin out of the door, closing it gently behind them.

 

“So, uh, what the hell kiddo?” Justin asked after a beat, looking out over the backyard. Tables were set up, and the other kids there so far were sprawled in the grass.

 

“Your _spirit animal_.” Tom replied in a strained voice, pointing where Justin’s coyote was crouching under a chair on the patio, ears folded back and teeth bared, snarling and shaking. “It’s so afraid. I knew they were here, so I came in to get you away from them.”

 

He sighed, walking over and moving the chair, picking up the coyote. His spirit animal went limp and hung under his arm when he tucked it there, whining despondently. “Yeah, I know.” He told it, knowing his dad at least was staring through the sliding door, watching him handle an invisible thing. “Don’t hate them, okay Tom?”

 

Tom made a disgusted noise. “They treat me like I’m _crazy,_ okay? They were here a few weeks ago and I was reading my guide textbook and he tried to take out of my hands. He only stopped because mom freaked out at him. He says, they both say it’s a _phase_ and I’ll grow out of it if mom and dad stop ‘coddling’ me.” He frowned up at Justin, furious. “And they hurt you so bad. I just didn’t understand what I was seeing until now, and they want to hurt me too.”

 

“I know kiddo.” He sighed, rubbing his coyote’s battered ears.

 

“Dad’s parents are so supportive.”

 

“Fifty percent ain’t bad.”

 

“You’re his uncle Justin?” The dark haired girl walked up, carrying/dragging her spirit animal with, which was a red panda.

 

“Well isn’t that ridiculously adorable.” Justin had to smile. “Yeah, I’m Justin.”

 

“I’m Kim.” She thrust out a hand. “Tom and I have the same tutor. Is your guide really Iron Man?”

 

Justin smiled, glad for the subject change as he shook her hand and followed the kids further into the yard.

 

* * *

 

Tony’s entrance was as showy as always, coming in on music screaming Shoot To Thrill, landing in his nearly trademark one-knee crouch and standing with his arms up to collect the adoration of fifteen early teenagers.

 

“Is he used to kids?” Sam asked as Justin helped bring two cakes out (one vanilla, one chocolate).

 

“Not, but he basically is one, so…”

 

“I heard that.” Tony said, turning to look at Justin, weapons bristling to ‘ooohhs’ from the kids. “Did you bring the party favors?”

 

“I did.” Justin had got the kids working an assembly line to fill two laundry baskets full of water balloons.

 

“Next question.” Tony clapped his hands together and turned back to the kids. “Who has the best throwing arm?”

 

Tony did what counted as trick shots using the palm repulsors, then took one of the gloves off and coached the kids through taking shots of their own. The suit glove was ridiculously outsized on the kids but that was okay. He had the power down to a fraction of a percent, and the fingertwitch controls were straightforward enough the kids understood. And they all loved it.

 

Their present to Tom went over just as well if not better. It was a remote controlled quad rotor helicopter. Tony’s shop had easily fabbed it up. It weren’t large, six inches by six inches, all sleek gunmetal grey and gold. They gave it to him in a slender black box with 4XROTOR in silver on one corner, the box containing instructions, a recharger, a controller, and a programming disk along with the quad rotor chopper itself.

 

It was small, agile and fast, the controller dualstick like so many video game controllers, and soon the backyard was abuzz as Tom flew the little chopper around, quickly figuring out how to make it roll and pivot.

 

“It’s a clever toy.” Joe ventured.

 

“It looks more fragile than it is. The props are memory metal, toss’em in water that’s the right temperature and they’ll snap back to shape.” Tony said, out of his suit and eating cake. “The software will teach him programming and some engineering theory. Besides, quad rotors are awesome.”

 

“You realize we will never, ever top this birthday for Tom.” Sam said, working on starting lasagna.

 

Justin was helping so he’d know the recipe. “Aw come on he’s loving it.’

 

“He hasn’t said much to us.” Gail sighed.

 

“He’s mad at you both.” Justin replied. “And he’s a tween, tweens hold grudges.”

 

“Mad at us?”

 

“Oh yeah, no sense attempting much reason either, let him simmer down.”

 

Gail and Joe looked at each other.

 

“I’ve tried explaining this.” Sam said. “I mean, thank you for not bringing up that horridness at his party, he’d have melted down at you both.”

 

“This is my concern. He was such an even-keeled little boy before his diagnosis.” Gail said.

 

Justin dropped a pan on the stove. “Yes, it’s almost like you suggested he be sent away to be starved, beaten, tortured and systematically broken, which is what was done to me. Mom.”

 

The kitchen went silent, beyond water running into a pot Sam had, and she even shut that off.

 

“Justin, I don’t know what you’re on about, but…” Gail started.

 

“No!” He snapped. “No, just stop there. Save your breath. You have no input in this situation, so stop pretending you do. Neither of you know anything about sentinels or guides and you sure as hell don’t know anything about raising one. Tom’s just fine, he’s solid in his mind, he has his spirit animal and likes his tutor. Sam’s doing great with him, she’s supportive and trying to protect him from YOU, for fuck’s sake! Leave Tom be! Give him the chance that you never gave me!” He heard his voice snap and went silent, grabbing his glass of tea and draining it.

 

“You know that isn’t true.” Joe said after a long stunned pause. “We did what we thought was best.”

 

“Oh wow, here we go. I am so done with that bullshit. So done.” Justin flared. “I’ve spent the last nearly three decades trying to come to terms, trying to believe you both aren’t monsters. Who wants to believe that about their mom and dad? You fed and clothed me and you don’t raid my now deep wallet, fine. But when I got diagnosed as a Sentinel, and yes, I am a Sentinel, your reaction was that you didn’t want a freak for a son!” He was gesticulating wildly, not even seeing them anymore, staring off into memories. “You refused to listen to doctors, who said there was nothing wrong with me, choosing to listen to a hateful preacher who deserved his horrid death from cancer. I know I wasn’t the only kid sent into hell because of him. And I told you both afterwards what happened there! You punished me for it! You called me a liar, and grounded me and took my goddamn headphones a few times and they were about my only line to sanity! I’ve spent the last many years slowly killing myself with drugs because I was so unprepared for any of my abilities my only option was to shut them down. I’m only now learning to really open my eyes and see, and you want to torture your own grandchild like that?”

 

That was when he heard how reedy and hysterical his voice had gotten, and realized that he was quickly going into a fugue, and he only realized it because Tony tossed his arms around him, and it was like cold rain in a desert. He sagged all too willingly into Tony’s arms, eyes slipping closed and shaking.

 

“We didn’t know.” Joe said slowly.

 

His eyes flew open again, lunging against Tony’s arms once. “You didn’t listen! You never listened! All I ever wanted was for you to accept me as I am! And now I’m a broken fucked up adult and the bridges are all but burned. My chance is over, do you get that? I may never, ever be a hundred percent, my spirit animal is permanently crippled. I’ve only made this much progress because of Tony. Tony saved me.” He took his glasses off, rubbing his burning eyes. “If you cannot accept Tom and I as we are, then don’t bother at all. We aren’t changing for the comfort of your worldview.”

 

“He’s right.” Sam said after a beat. “And that is why I told you both not to speak of those awful places here.”

 

“That’s the most you’ve said to us in years and it’s to yell in our faces.” Joe spat. “We don’t believe in this pagan claptrap, you know that. Spirit animals?”

 

“Your ignorance is neither our fault nor our burden.” Sam’s voice was ice cold. “Get out of my house.” Nothing else was said until the door slammed shut, and everyone breathed out.

 

“And a cloud passed.” Al said, coming in opening a bottle of cognac. “We all need something stronger than tea, I think.”

 

“Good man.” Tony praised. “We can go dry tomorrow, Justin.”

 

“I’m so sorry, Sam.” Justin said, bleary and somehow empty inside.

 

“Nah man, it’s been a long time coming.” She got down snifters for the cognac, setting them on the counter. “They refuse to learn. We don’t have to wait for them.”

 

“They might come around. Either way, I think they now get that sentinels and guides are welcome in this house.” Al poured and passed glasses out. “To balance and moving forward.”

 

“I’ll drink to that. Cheers.” Justin took his glass and clinked it with the other three.

 


End file.
